The link actually gets you to the second page of the story. Two pages to the left you will find the beginning of the story. It is a lengthy article with photos.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=xc ... sion&hl=en

I seem to recal that 501 was not donated to Steamtown, but simply leased; when Steamtown moved to Pennsylvania, MEC donated 501 to the 470 Railroad Club and 470 moved the 501 to North Conway.

Howard P.

Howard,

Was the 501 owned by the 470 Club while at Steamtown in VT? I've heard conflicting stories. I remember hearing that they moved it to CSRR when Steamtown went to Scranton.

If I recall, there was a shot in Trains Magazine of the 501 posed by a station enroute to North Conway where the obligatory "rubber tires & raincoats" were set on fire in the smokebox for the photo op.

Dave

I believe it was 519 which remained in the Waterville roundhouse, having been used for a scene in the film, "Sunrise at Campobello". E. Spencer Miller approached Nelson Blount about taking it, to join the 501, already on Steamtown property, otherwise it would be scrapped. One of the the two Consolidations is now at N. Conway, in possession of the "470 Club", but no longer being seen as a candidate for operation. The locomotive is restorable, which was the original plan, but lack of money and impetus to do something productive, has hampered the effort.
There are groups in Maine that would welcome the 2-8-0 and undertake a rebuild, but they have not been approached.

Recollections of MEC 2-8-0's nos. 501 and 519 at Steamtown: so Dave Crosby can have some more information to "save" in his computer files!

J. David Conrad's Steam Locomotive Directory shows F. Nelson Blount acquiring an interest in both locomotive in September, 1963. I consider Conrad's book accurate regarding these locomotives as he used both Steamtown Foundation locomotive files and the personal files and memories of Bob Adams when compiling information; Bob Adams was F. Nelson Blount's original Steamtown Superintendant, and he was directly involved in most (if not all) of the locomotive transactions during Blount's lifetime. Why #519 was purchased, and #501 leased remains a mystery--and we may never know the story behind it. I'm sure its an interesting one, and suspect that Bob Adams probably knows the answer. Unfortunately, Bob has been in ill health recently--and I'm not about to "bug" him for the answer at the moment.

There's been a lot of speculation on several Internet websites recently on how nos. 501 and 519 came to Steamtown. Some say that #501 arrived first, and that they both came via the MEC's Mountain Sub Division to Whitefield, NH and then the B&M to North Walpole, NH. I know its been a long time, and my memory isn't always perfect--but I seem to recall that the MEC interchanged the locomotives to the B&M at Portland, Maine at the same time. I believe I saw them on their way to Steamtown together in a B&M Cheshire Branch local--viewed from my folks front yard in Walpole, NH. My folks home was just across NH Route 12 from the B&M's Cheshire Branch, and Steamtown's original equipment site at the former B&M Cheshire Branch yard in North Walpole, NH was just a couple of miles up the road. I know for certain that #519 was at the Steamtown North Walpole site for a while as I have a picture in my collection of it there.

Both 2-8-0's made their way to the new Steamtown site in Bellows Falls--probably in 1965. I have pictures of them there shortly after the turntable was placed in service. After Blount's death and the settlement of his estate, both locomotives were definitely in possession of the Steamtown Foundation. SF definitely claimed ownership of #519, and #501 definitely remained a leased locomotive. SF faithfully sent the MEC $1 per year for the right to display #501 in its collection through the 1983 tourist season.

In the mid-1970's, Steamtown's Executive Director Bob Barbera decided to restore a 'smaller" locomotive to suppliment Steamtown three ex-CPR G-5 4-6-2's in excursion service. The smaller locomotive would have been used during off-season periods when a 4-6-2 wasn't really needed for a two or three car train. Both MEC 2-8-0's were among the locomotives given a preliminary inspection. If I recall correctly, #501 was found to have the better boiler, while #519 had the better running gear. Ultimately, CN 4-6-0 #1551 was chosen for the restoration. (Work on #1551 actually did begin--but its restoration was never completed at Steamtown--mainly because the Vermont Bicentennial Steamtown Expedition came along and caused Steamtown's shop to "shift gears". And then two "key" shop people left. It's interesting to speculate--but if Steamtown had begun work on either of the MEC 2-8-0's , Jerry Jacobson might have ended up with one of them rather than the CN 4-6-0!)

When Steamtown announced it was moving to Scranton, it appeared that both MEC 2-8-0's were headed there--and they probably would have if "someone" hadn't known about #501's lease from the MEC. I'd hoped to reveal this information on the first day #501 returned to steam, but since that now doesn't seem likely in my lifetime-well, here goes. An anonymus letter was written to Dwight Smith of the Conway Scenic Railroad. I just happen to know that it was hand printed on lined stationery, and mailed from a small post office in Westminster, Vt. The letter informed Dwight of the existing lease, and expressed the writer's desire to see #501 remain in New England. It was signed "A NEW ENGLAND STEAM FAN".

Dwight informed The 470 Railroad Club of the letter, and the club contacted the MEC to see if there was a way #501 could remain in "home territory". The MEC responded by cancelling the lease to Steamtown, and offering the locomotive to the club for a nominal amount. Since the lease required Steamtown to return #501 to the MEC at an interchange point of the railroad's choosing at the termination of the lease, Steamtown was required to prepare the locomotive for shipment and return it to the MEC at Whitefield, NH. Dave Conrad got the locomotive "ready to roll", and accompanied it to Whitefield in a special train move via the B&M. A day or two later, the MEC (with quite a bit of fanfare) moved the locomotive to the Conway Scenic Railroad interchange at Intervale, NH. Ironically, the first locomotive to depart Steamtown in Bellows Falls on its own wheels as a result of the Scranton relocation did not head for Pennsylvania!

#501 languished in the CSRR yard at North Conway, NH for a number of years. In the late 1990's, the 470 Club, with promised support from the CSRR, decided to restore #501 to operating condition. Dave Conrad was hired to do an evaluation of #501, and he found it to be an excellent candidate for restoration. (In fact, Dave told me at the time he wished he had the locomotive at the Valley Railroad.) Unfortunately, the 470 Club decided to ignore some of Dave's advice as well as that of some other steam professionals; they took the "inexpensive route", and hired a less-than-reputable contractor to perform #501's boiler work. The result was a newly acquired set of tubes and flues being "questionably" installed. And knowledgeable people who witnessed the contractor working on #501 claim that he made several illegal repairs as well. From a personal standpoint, I happened by the CSRR a couple of days before the FRA was scheduled to approve the #501's boiler repairs. The boiler was full of water, but not under hydro pressure--water was leaking from every place imagineable. When the gentleman working on the locomotive told me "we've got the boiler ready for the Federal man", I just shook my head in disbelief. From my experience with Steamtown, I knew the FRA's regional MP&E steam inspector Paul Furman wouldn't accept even the smallest leak under full hydro pressure. #501's boiler wasn't about to pass muster with Furman, and it didn't. To make matter worse, the Club's main volunteer on #501 and the CSRR's owner "locked horns" shortly thereafter, and work on #501 ground to a halt. There were a few half-hearted attempts to get the #501 project going again, but those all came to an end when the project's main supporter in the Club passed away a few years ago. The Club now says the locomotive's restoration would be "too expensive" and there's no place to run the locomotive if it were restored. CSRR has recently said they no longer have an interest in operating #501. The locomotive's 100th birthday has been reason for #501 to receive some cosmetic work, though. At the suggestion of CSRR's Operations Manager Paul Hallett, #501 is getting a paint job. CSRR is providing the manpower and the 470 Club the paint.

If there are indeed parties in Maine that would like to restore and operate #501, I'd sure like to know who are? I'd encourage them to contact the Club with their proposal(s)--because the Club sure ain't going to contact them. And if they don't have a truckload of money for the restoration, they're just wasting their time!

Frederick G. Bailey

Both the Maine & Eastern, as well as the Downeast Scenic, have expressed interest in acquiring one of the MEC steam locos. I have had several communications on this from the time I was pressing the City of Waterville to save the MEC Pacific they have abandoned.

One tidbit of information that I intended to include in my post above, but forgot; while at Steamtown in Bellows Falls, #501 did make a small contirbution to operating steam. Steamtown leased Southern Railway (British) 4-4-0 #926 "REPTON" to the Cape Breton Steam Railway in Nova Scotia, Canada in the mid-1970's. During the 4-4-0's restoration to service, the CSBR determined that the locomotive needed some replacement superheater units--and they contacted Steamtown to determine if Steamtown had any spare superheater units lying around that would fit. It was found that some of #501's units could be used for #926, and they were sent to Canada. Presumably, CSBR did use them.

"REPTON", of course, did return to the U. S. following the CSBR lease--and wound up operating briefly for Steamtown Foundation in Scranton. It was subsequently repatriated to England for a goodly sum.

Frederick G. Bailey

Here's a rainy photo from my trip to North Conway in May of 2010.

While viewing this engine, an "intern" told me that many parts were missing including valve gear. I'm not sure if that is completely accurate but it seems likely.

Per Mr. Bailey's post, the tender has a very nice and recent paint job.

What could have/may yet happen perhaps:

http://www.newenglandrailfan.com/Steam% ... 8889665424

Obviously the 0-6-0 is doing pushing and pulling.

Joshua

I have seen photos of MEC steam locomotives with roman style Maine Central lettering on the tenders. All three of the surviving MEC steamers have this "more modern" herald as indicated in the photo of 501. Just trying to find out the approximate date when the railroad changed their tender identification. Thanks.

Les